Arteta can get Arsenal back to winning ways – but he has to fix the midfield, says Invincible Lauren
ARSENAL Invincible Lauren thinks Mikel Arteta can inspire Arsenal into the top four - if he can fix their midfield issues.
Pep Guardiola's No2, 37, is set to take over at the Emirates after Freddie Ljungberg struggled to reverse the Gunners' slump.
And Lauren, 42, thinks the Spaniard has the tools to be successful at his former club, who sit tenth in the table.
He told 888sport: “I think Arteta has been an important figure for Arsenal. The captain. He played a lot of good football for us and I wish him all the best if the appointment happens.
"I hope he can get Arsenal back to winning ways and to the position that we all want to club to be in.
“There are many points still to play for until the end of the season. It’s not easy because the position right now is not the best but with the many, many points left there is a possibility of top four for sure. I believe they can make it. Why not?”
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The Gunners' blundering defence has come under fire for shipping too many goals this season.
But Lauren thinks the problem lies elsewhere and thinks former skipper Arteta must address a lack of fight in the engine room.
He added: “Against the big teams they have to control the middle of the park. It has been a long time since Arsenal has dominated the middle of the park.
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"It’s very important and for a while now they haven’t done this. If they don’t control the middle it is very difficult to win against Manchester City and the big games.
"This makes it difficult too for the strikers and the defence. It is harder to score goals and easy for the defence to concede when the middle is not dominated.
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"Finding out why this is brings many different opinions but Arsenal have to find a way to dominate the midfield.
“When we score lots of goals it is not always down to the strikers. It’s the work of the whole team with good passages of play.
"So when we’re conceding lots of goals it’s the same. We are not doing the right thing as a unit so we concede so many goals. It’s down to the team.”
Read the full 888sport interview with Lauren here.